A Bad Day
by Wil1969
Summary: It's a very bad day for Crusoe and Friday when slave traders find their way to the island...
1. Chapter 1

_Crusoe Fanfic,_

 _A Bad Day_

Chapter 1

Robinson Crusoe was dreaming. Not a daydream this time, and he had plenty of those in the past, but a real one. It was a strange occurrence, as he seemed to be conscious of the fact it was a dream. He didn't mind, as long as it lasted for a long time. This one could last forever as far as he was concerned.

Beautiful Susannah was holding him, her body cradled over his. They were lying in bed in the old warehouse that was their home. The solid bed Robin had build with his own hands, with fancy lace curtains all around, and soft pillows. Susannah had been very happy. It wasn't much, but they had each other. He could feel her naked warm skin against his. Her perfume and her long soft hair smelled like roses. He could gaze into those brown eyes and drown in them forever.

Then the dream turned into him feeling uncomfortable. Her eyes were fading, her body was moving away from his. He wanted to move, to follow her, but he couldn't. When he tried to touch Susannah, his hands were stuck. But stuck in what? He wanted to tell her to stay, aware that his voice wouldn't come. Everything seemed to vanish in front of him.

Letting out a moan of frustration, he opened his eyes and she was gone. He shouldn't have opened his eyes. The dream might have returned. She might have returned to him. With a deep sigh he tried to move, realising he was truly stuck. His wrists bound in a painful way above his head, tied to the bamboo bed, and his legs had endured the same treatment.

Because it was still night in the jungle, Robin couldn't see much, the lanterns in the tree house long extinguished. He could feel the movement of air though, next to his bed. Maybe it was Friday's idea of a joke? They both got bored at times, and a practical joke was never far away.

"It's not funny." He spit out at the moving figure.

"Oh, I think it is." A female voice answered in his ear, her face inches from his own.

Judy. It was Judy's voice. He recognised it straight away. She had come to the island a while back, with her own band of merry pirates on a treasure hunt. In the end, she'd been brought to a Spanish prison by Captain Santana. She must have escaped somehow? With her charm and cunning it was very much possible. But how did she get here and why?

"Judy..." Robin couldn't hold the surprise from his voice, or was it fear? He didn't like her one bit. She was dangerous and unpredictable. He pulled on the ropes above his head, testing them. "What is the meaning of this, cut me loose."

"Oh no, dear Robin," she again whispered in his ear. Her warm sweet breath against his cheek giving him goose bumps all over. "Not yet."

Robin never wore a shirt while sleeping, and as her warm hand landed on his bare chest, he let out a strained gasp, pulling on the ropes in response. What the hell was she doing? Or was this still some dream, and should he just play along? The image of Susannah appeared in his mind's eye once more and he bit his lip. Whatever happened, he wouldn't give Judy the satisfaction of a warm welcome. He didn't care for her, not one bit.

"Am I making you feel uncomfortable, Mr. Crusoe?" She purred, as her hand roamed down his chest to his belly where it stopped for a moment.

"Just..." Robin started to feel angry, not wanting to be part of where this was going. Not now, not ever. "Just, leave me alone!"

Instead her hand went deeper, reaching the hem of his breeches, and he held his breath. His head started to race to come up with a plan to get out of this embarrassing and painful situation. He disliked feeling vulnerable.

"Crusoe?" Friday's voice was nearby, "... Crusoe!"

With a start he woke up and gazed around, disorientated and sweaty. He woke up for real this time it seemed because Friday was sitting on the side of the bed, his hand on Robin's shoulder and a worried look in his eyes. Dawn was upon them, and of course there was no sign of Judy. Thank God.

"You were dreaming," Friday said, and it sounded like an apology. "I had to wake you up, you were yelling and almost rolling off the bed. Which is not handy in a tree house."

Robinson let out a deep sigh. "That's fine, Friday." His body trembled, and he even felt a bit embarrassed. "Now that was a nightmare."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Friday offered while Robin stood up, stretching.

"Maybe some other time."

"Ah." Friday nod at him and smiled, as if he'd guessed what it had been all about. This was impossible, but it made Robin blush when the man turned away from him. "I will prepare breakfast then."

"Something special?"

"Fruit, and fruit and yes, we even have fruit." Friday laughed, and made his way to the long high wooden bench which they used as a working table. "Very nutritious."

While Robin washed himself at the water pomp he'd made, the sun was rising and he was glad they still had fresh water to wash away the sweat, or to cool off on a warm day. And it was key to their survival on this tropical island. Not that they needed the pomp itself, but it was handy to have it build inside the tree house. His first year on the island he'd always walked for miles to get to a fresh water creek without dangerous animals lurking about.

When he grabbed himself a shirt, Robin considered how much he liked to work with his hands and create things that made their life here a bit easier. Time on the island was slow paced, and besides gathering food, watching the birds, playing cards and reading, they had nothing else to do. Robin didn't know he was able to survive like this, but now he felt pretty clever. He would give up everything in no time to be in London and by Susannah's site again though.

"Any plans for today?" He asked Friday, while he took a seat across from him at the table grabbing an orange and a knife, slicing it into small pieces. He loved oranges. They were fortunate the island provided lots of fruit.

"I was thinking of checking our traps, maybe a pig has fallen into one."

"Good idea. We could do with some fresh meat, and so could Dundee." Robin grabbed a banana, while he waved at their ships dog who was still asleep nearby. Hearing his name the dog raised his head. "Look, he's full of expectation."

"A dog cannot be full of expectation."

"If you say so." Robin said, "want me to come along?"

"If you have nothing else to do."

"Oh yes, I'm terribly busy," Robin laughed and started eating.

Friday also laughed at that and they ate in silence, gazing over the jungle in the early morning sun while all sorts of beautiful bird songs reached their ears.

* * *

They had checked most of their animal traps by mid day, and retreated to the beach, looking out over the waves, a breeze ruffling their hair. Robin felt a little disappointed they had only caught one large rat, even though Friday had told him he knew a good recipe for rats. Robinson wasn't convinced.

The waves always had a soothing effect on him. The ocean kept him trapped on the island, and he'd hated it for a long time. After six years it had grown on him, sort of, and he could sit on the beach for hours. Friday was more a man of action, but sometimes his friend would sit with him for a while. Robin had felt alone and afraid on this island, but since he'd freed Friday, their friendship had become a valuable part of his life. He would give his life for him, and he knew Friday would always return the favour.

"So, Crusoe, you do not want me to cook that rat?" Friday asked in a very serious manner.

Just the idea made Robin choke. "Oh no, I don't think so."

"Are you certain?"

Before Robin could answer, he saw a grin appear on Friday's face, and he knew he'd been played, again. Friday had a wicked sense of humour. It made him wonder at times where the man came from. How life had been within his tribe.

"There they are!" A male voice shouted from the edge of the jungle behind them all of a sudden. One second Robin wondered where all these people came from, if this was supposed to be a deserted island? If it weren't pirates or mutineers, there had been cannibals, or tribes from other islands wandering around. It had made him realize early on they were vulnerable, and building a tree house was their best option of staying out of sight to the wrong sort of people. He hoped the right sort of people would arrive one day, so he could return to England. They've had no such luck, yet. These were white men though, speaking English. About eight of them carrying guns, knives and what seemed to be large nets.

"Move Crusoe." Friday pulled him up, and they moved backwards towards the edge of the foaming water, the men gaining in on them on the empty beach. "We need to make our way into the jungle and lose them."

"Who the hell are they?" Robin looked around for an escape route, alongside the group of men. This was getting ridiculous, people chasing after them. And for what? Should he stop and ask? He wasn't sure.

"I have no idea, but they are no friendly souls," Friday pushed him to the left. "Let us make a run for it."

"Grab them." One of the rough looking men yelled, when they started running along the waterline as fast as they could. The sand made it difficult not to stumble, and it prevented them from running at high speed. In the jungle they would be able to shake this group, no doubt about it. Robin had set traps near the tree house for such occasions. But the beach was open, empty and dangerous.

One moment it seemed they were going to make it, but the next Robinson felt a net fall over him and he tripped, falling flat on his face in the sand. Damn, that hurt. "Go!" He yelled at Friday to move, but this one seemed to hesitate for just one second when another net fell over his friend. They were trapped, and he couldn't reach his knife to cut them loose. Friday

brought his machete though. What if...

Strong hands hauled him up, net and all, and he looked into the face of a tall but skinny man. The man had scars all over his cheeks and his teeth looked black. He smelled like rotten eggs and Robin couldn't help but try and avoid the man's breath.

"This fight is over, Mr. Crusoe."

Robin didn't know what surprised him more. The fact they were on the island, or the fact that they knew his name. Before he could ask anything, the face of a woman came into view. She was standing behind the man with the scars and grinned up at him. It was Judy.

"Hello, Robin."

"You." His nightmare came back to him with a vengeance, and he swallowed. He didn't even want to know how she got here. It wasn't important. She was here, and it wasn't hard to guess why she'd led these men to the island.

"Shut up." The ugly man in front of him said, and a fist landed in his ribs with force, making him gasp and fall to his knees. Another fist grabbed his hair and bend his head backwards, the net tight around his face. "We are slave traders, Mr. Crusoe. And we were told you have a slave on this island, and see here." He pointed at Friday who was struggling next to him in the net, held down by three men.

"He is not a slave." Robin bit back at him, "he's a free man."

"I will be the judge of that." The man snarled and a fist landed in his ribs again, making him clench his teeth in pain. "We will take him off your hands. You, as governor and savage lover of the island wouldn't mind, right? He will come with us, and will bring in a very good price."

"No." Robin found enough strength to jump up and rush forward, net and all. He almost grabbed the man's throat, missing by an inch as the two men next to him grabbed his arms and bend them behind his back. The startled leader once again made a fist...

"Tennant," It was Judy's urgent but calm voice, interrupting. "I promised you a slave. You have him, now let's go."

* * *

The men had removed the nets and had bound their hands in front of them, pushing them into the jungle. Robin wondered where they'd landed their ship. With the tides it was only possible to do so at Susannah's bay. Maybe they could get their hands on a dinghy and a ship later on? If they could escape these mad men. Slave traders. Crusoe had owned a plantation himself for a while. It had been normal to own slaves, but since he knew Friday he'd learned much. People shouldn't be kept as slaves. Not even black people. They were intelligent human beings and should be free.

"This is far enough." Tennant lifted his hand and they all stopped. Then he turned around and looked straight at Robin. "Crusoe can stay here. We don't sell white slaves." Pointing at a tall tree he grabbed a long piece of rope from his belt. "Let's hang him."

"What?" Robinson couldn't believe his ears, and he could hear Friday mutter a curse next to him. Hang him? This was turning out to be a bad day. A very bad day.

"By the wrists." Tennant snorted, and his men laughed. Of course they thought it was a marvellous joke. Idiots. Judy was the only one not laughing. She just stood there, with an unreadable look on her face. No doubt they had promised her something to make her return to the island. Her freedom? Money? Treasure?

"That was not funny." He could hear Friday say, while two men pulled a thick rope around the one already binding Robin's wrists. Tennant had turned his attention to Friday. "Slaves do not talk." This time his fist ended up hitting Friday in the face.

"Damn you, Tennant." Robin cursed.

"And up you go." Tennant snapped his fingers, and the men threw the rope bound around Robin's wrists over a high tree trunk and pulled. He could feel his arms stretch in a painful way and his feet left the ground. His ribs nearly killed him as he gasped for air. Lights danced in front of his eyes for a moment while he tried to concentrate on staying calm.

"Crusoe!" He could hear Friday scream out his name, just once. Then his friend was silenced by a hit to the head, and there was nothing Robin could do to help him. These men were going to be so dead if he could get his hands on them. That was a big if...

"Hang there and rot for all I care," Tennant had an ugly wide grin on his face. "We have our slave to sell." Gesturing at his men to pick up the unconscious Friday, he gave Robin one last wink. "Goodbye, Mr. Crusoe."

"No!" Robinson felt a terrible fury reaching his very soul, "Friday!" It took him all of his energy to shout his friend's name one last time before the men, Friday and that damned Judy were out of sight and he was all alone. Alone and helpless. Not capable of helping his best friend, and it made him scream out in rage.

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Robinson didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt himself fall in and out of consciousness. There was no feeling in his arms anymore, they just felt numb. The heat made him dizzy and sick, and he knew that going without water for long would mean his certain death. Friday was in so much trouble, just like he was. Damn him for not getting loose from this cursed rope. He felt very guilty, a guilt he had never felt before. He had failed his best friend this time and he wasn't sure he could live with himself because of it. He might not have to, the way things were going.

Tears of helplessness rolled from his closed eyes. First he had failed his dear Susannah, and now Friday. Why was the dear Lord punishing him like this? What had he done wrong? Friday sometimes said he was feeling sorry for himself, and maybe the man was right. He should not give up, not yet.

A loud bark made him open his eyes. It was Dundee standing near him, barking. Or was it just his imagination? Robin couldn't say for sure, but the snout of the dog made him smile. Dundee, always following them around.

"Crusoe." A female voice appeared close to him. It sounded like Susannah. But she would never call him Crusoe, she would call him Robin, right? Why was he dreaming once more, or wasn't he? He couldn't remember what he was doing and where he needed to go. There was an urgent matter to attend to, but what was it?

A punch in the side made him think clear again. He blinked a couple of times and saw the face of Judy a little below his chest. "Ow, you hit me."

"No time for daydreaming."

"Where's Dundee, what have you done with him?"

"Who, your savage?"

"The dog, he was here."

"You're hallucinating."

"You came back." He wanted to strangle her, but felt too weak to voice such a thought. First Judy betrayed them, and now she returned? Maybe she wanted to see him die? "Does it give you any satisfaction to see me die?"

"You can think many things of me, Crusoe," she grabbed her knife and started to cut at the rope holding him. "But I will not let you die."

Robin couldn't repress a shout of anguish when he fell on the ground. He hoped no one next to Judy heard it. Bruised ribs shouldn't hurt this bad, or should they? Judy's face was inches from his, just like it had been in his nightmare, and he swallowed. "I don't think you came back for that reason?"

"True." She cut the rope around his hands and kept the knife in front of her, pointed at him, making sure he wouldn't attack her in any way. She was right about thinking so. Robin still wanted to strangle her, but his hands and arms were too heavy to obey him. She then spit on the ground. "They deceived me."

"They?" He rubbed his wrists and winced. What was she talking about now? He had to start thinking straight or this wasn't going to end well for Friday. It was his priority to try and save his friend from the slave traders. Judy or no Judy.

"They promised to pay me a large amount of money if I would lead them to a place with new slaves. Now, what was a girl to do hey?" She observed him from head to toe, making him shiver. "And guess what? They don't want to pay me anything at all. So I killed one of them and escaped into the jungle."

Robin stood up with care, holding on to bruised ribs. "All I want is to save Friday."

"They betrayed me, so I think I can be of help."

"You got us into this mess in the first place, leading them to the island."

Judy took one step towards him, her knife pointed at his throat. "You want my help, Robin, or not?" She grinned while he stood his ground trying not to flinch.

"It's Crusoe."

"Of course," she threw him a water sack. "Drink, so we can move."

"And what makes you so sure you can trust me?"

"I don't," Judy waved the knife. "But they tricked me, you didn't. I don't like to be tricked, by any man. They will have to pay for that." She smiled at him brightly then, "cheer up Mr. Crusoe, we'll find your savage. I will kill Tennant, you get the savage and I will never bother you two again."

"Until there's a new business deal." Robinson shook his head, and when she didn't lower the knife he tried a grin, "and you should really work on those trust issues."

"Let's just find your savage and get on with it."

"His name is Friday."

"What kind of stupid name is that?"

Robin didn't feel like explaining it to her, at all. Instead he scanned his surroundings, and chose a path through the jungle going north, in the direction of Susannah's bay.

"How do you know where to go?" Judy walked behind him, still holding on to her knife like her life depended on it, and her voice betrayed surprise.

"I know where you landed on the island, with the tides and all."

"Ah.." She let out a little laugh, " of course, very clever."

* * *

Friday had no idea where he was. He felt terrible and had a bad headache. The whole world seemed to be moving, but it was dark around him. It took him a while to realise he was carried around on someone's shoulder, and there was a stinking sack thrown over his head. He could hardly breathe and he wondered what had happened to Crusoe. He hoped these men hadn't killed his friend.

Worry settled in the pit of his stomach and he knew there had to be a way to get out of his predicament. Maybe if he faked unconsciousness a while longer it would be an advantage to him later on? They took his machete, but maybe he could get it back? Somehow?

The white English men were talking amongst themselves, sounding worried, as if something bad had happened to them. Slave traders, Friday hated them even more then the cannibals. This trade was not about believe or superstition, it was all about money and repression.

White men thought he was stupid. He would prove to them he wasn't.

Friday had a deep fear inside his heart. If Crusoe and he ever made it to London, the people there would threat him as a savage and slave as well. Crusoe would of course do his best to prevent this, but Friday was smart enough to know it would not work out. Sometimes he was scared of leaving the island, their secluded home, for good.

These men were going to take him away from the island, to who knows where. He had to make sure this didn't happen, at all cost. He would rather die. And if Crusoe were already dead, he didn't feel like living anyway. No, he shouldn't think like that. Crusoe would be alive, and Friday had to think of a plan of escape.

"Let us rest for a moment." Friday heard the man called Tennant say to the others. "And stand guard, in case that crazy woman comes back to have another go at us."

"We're not scared of Judy." Someone else said.

"Well, you should be," Tennant yelled. "She's already killed one of us. Idiot!"

"You should have paid her."

"Shut up."

The man carrying Friday bend over to lay him on the ground. He could feel his legs being freed from the man's grip. He could escape right there and then, but he still had his hands bound in front of him and a sack over his head. He should wait until he had the advantage of sight, taking in his location and these men. He let out a low moan, on purpose.

"Get that sack off his head, we don't want him to suffocate and be dead before we can sell him." It was Tennant again. Yes, Friday's advantage was getting better. If these men thought he would just let himself be carried away like this, they were wrong.

The sun felt warm and bright on his face when they pulled off the sack. He kept his eyes open, just a slit. This way he could see - even though it was blurry - what was going on. They wouldn't notice it, he hoped. If he could get to Tennant, that would be the answer. The others were obeying the tall scarred man, no questions asked.

Friday let out a moan again, to see if he could bait the man to come closer. Tennant didn't want his price to get damaged, so who knows what he might do. The other men weren't paying attention. They were standing around in a small clearing, keeping an eye on the jungle. Judy had killed one of them? As much as Friday hated that woman, this was a good thing. The pain in his head was throbbing along with the beat of his heart when Tennant did come closer, ready to inspect him. The man was very predictable.

The minute he lay his hand on Friday's shoulder, this one jumped up, startling him, and he pulled his bound hands over the man's head, pulling hard. Tennant let out a loud scream, which alerted the men around them, who in one fluid movement pointed their musket pistols at Friday.

But Friday had already moved backwards against a tree, holding Tennant right in front of him. The man struggled to get free, but he pulled the rope and his hands tighter around the skinny neck and the struggles stopped.

"Lower your pistols, or I will kill him." He spit it out at the men. "Now."

Tennant's hands reached for his throat, trying to pull Friday's hands away. "Do not even think about lowering your pistols. That's an order." The man's voice sounded choked up, but clear. "This slave will not get away."

Friday knew he still had the advantage, but not for long. He pulled Tennant with him and backed away from the clearing, ready to find cover in the jungle. The men following his every move. How was he going to get out without being shot?

Then everything went wrong when Tennant's elbow landed in his stomach, hard, and Friday had to let go for just one second. The man pulled himself free and turned around, grabbing Friday's arm as he stuck one foot behind his left leg. Friday lost his balance, with his hands still bound, and fell onto his back on the ground.

Looking up he saw five pistols pointed straight at his head. He had lost this fight. But as he always told Crusoe, lose a fight didn't mean losing a war. Not yet anyway.

He would get another chance...

* * *

"Stop, Mr. Crusoe." Judy's voice sounded harsh behind him.

What was it now? Robinson got the idea she was slowing him down for some reason. He still didn't feel a hundred percent, and this was all he needed. "What?" He asked her, turning around feeling annoyed and exasperated. Did it matter his emotions were an open book?

She smiled sweetly at him, like she had done many times before, driving him nuts. "What is it like to be stranded on an island like this, all alone?" She asked.

Robin let out a sigh. "Why don't 'I' take the ship you all came in, and let 'you' find out?"

She sniggered at that, pointing her beloved knife at his throat again because he had taken a step towards her. He hated it when she did that, and he still remembered it vividly from last time. She was playing a cat and mouse game and enjoying it. Well, he wasn't. He was too worried about Friday.

"You amuse me, Robin."

"The feeling's not mutual, sorry," he waved at the jungle behind them. "We're going to free Friday, and if you have other plans you better let me know right now."

"No sir, no other plans but to kill Tennant."

"Good." Robin didn't believe a word she said, although, people changed. Sometimes.

They had made their way to the crocodile creek, as Robin called it. Friday had saved his life once when he fell into it and was almost eaten by a huge crocodile. This was not a creek to swim in, but it would provide them with fresh water. It wasn't far from Susannah's bay, and they needed their strength to free Friday. He pointed to the creek as they found their way through the tall grass next to it. "Let's drink some water and rest for a moment. It's not far to the bay now."

While Judy filled up her water sack, keeping an eye on him, Robin rested on an old tree trunk near the water edge. Next to crocodiles, there were also snakes around. It had been one of the reasons he'd build his tree house further away from the creeks, as they seemed to be infested by them. He wondered if he had thought about snakes on purpose, wanting Judy to get bitten, but lost that thought. It was not like him to think like this. He should be grateful she cut him loose, even though it had to be for her own benefits, no doubt about it.

Looking around, his eyes found a short handy bamboo stick that seemed to be useful as a weapon. Judy might not approve, but he was not going to face those slave traders without something in his hand to defend himself.

"Be careful for the giant killer crocodiles and snakes." He said to her, and stood up to grab the stick, weighing it in his hand and sitting back down. She backed away with an audible snap and pulled her water sack from the creek.

"And you couldn't have warned me earlier?"

"Sorry." He smiled at her, not feeling sorry in the least.

"Yeah, right." He could see she wasn't amused. She walked over to the trunk and took a seat next to him. No knife was pointed at his neck this time. She'd forgotten about it, it seemed. Maybe, just maybe there were certain things in life that did scare tough looking Miss Judy? Robin wondered, when he observed her. Was there a vulnerable side to her? Of course she felt him staring at her, and her eyes sought out his. The steely look was back in a heartbeat. With a wide smile she took her knife in one hand again. "Be careful what you think, Robin."

"I wasn't thinking anything."

"All men are." She touched his cheek with one finger, coming close, her lips near his. The result was that he jumped up to get away from her, which made her laugh out loud and made him blush for reasons he didn't want to explore. There was no time for her stupid games, they needed to find Friday.

"Let us go," he said, turning his back on her.

Dusk was upon them when they reached Susannah's bay at last. Robin and Judy crouched down behind the large rocks on the south side, not far from the beach. They had a good view of things here, and could see a fire burning below them. The slave traders.

Robin detected a bamboo cage on the beach, not far from the fire, and he also saw two dinghy's. These weren't large boats of course, but they would come in handy nonetheless. But where was their ship? Not that his first priority was a ship, he berated himself. It was Friday.

Investigating the area some more, he noticed a large sack lying in the bamboo cage. It had the shape of a human. It had to be Friday in there. But why was he all wrapped up like that? Maybe he had caused them trouble? That was like the Friday he knew, he wouldn't give up without a fight. He hoped his friend would be all right.

"There, in the cage," he pointed, out of breath. His ribs were still very sore and crouching down had taken a lot of energy. He felt exhausted, but there wasn't time to rest. If they both made it back to the tree house in one piece, he promised himself he would sleep for a week. Although, if these men had a ship... He shouldn't dwell on it yet. Robin sank down behind the rocks, and a painful gasp escaped him.

"We'll wait until they sleep," Judy said next to him, staring into his eyes in the dim light still left. "You are not fit enough to do anything right now, so why don't you leave it up to me?"

"Let me be the judge of that."

"Pigheaded though," she smirked, touching the point of her knife with one fingertip. "It's your life. They will have someone standing guard, if they sleep at all."

"We need a plan," Robin felt worried. Maybe it would be easy to get Friday out of the cage, but then the fun started. The men would come after them, and he wasn't certain they could outrun them. Not in his condition. "If they find out we freed Friday, they'll come after us."

"Not if they think they still have him," she stopped fooling around with the knife and focused on the beach below. "I can trade places with the savage, and they won't even know. I'll just crawl into that sack and they never know what hit them." Her face was grim.

"You would do that for us?" Robin couldn't believe his ears. Was this some kind of joke?

"Not for you." Her eyes weren't noticeable in the dark, but from the tone of her voice he knew they were spitting fire. "I'll have a superb place in one of those dinghy's to kill my good friend Tennant. They will never bother you and your savage again."

"Ah, yes." Why hadn't he thought of that himself, "but what about their ship, they have one, right?"

"Yes, but there's not much I can do about that." She answered, "the men will not like me much for killing their captain. They will no doubt try and make me jump ship."

"I'm sure you'll manage."

"I'll miss you." She looked him straight in the eye, grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands, and pressed her lips on his in a demanding kiss that he couldn't answer. When he broke lose she grinned. "See you around, Robin."

Judy left him sitting there feeling bemused, but with enough of a rush in his blood to free Friday and to create some distractions to allow Judy to crawl into the cage.

Time to move...

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Robin crawled onto the beach. He was taking a longer route, around the rocks and from the east. There were more rocks there, and he could reach the cage with a minimum threat of exposure. Noises reached him from the west side of the beach and he guessed it was Judy, trying distract the men to leave their fire and the beach, so she could slit their throats. He shuddered.

Without any major incidents, he reached the bamboo cage and dropped onto his belly. He reached inside the cage with both hands for the rope that tied the large sack together. God, that hurt. A sharp pain spiked its way through his chest. He should be more careful. His trembling hands got hold of the rope and he wriggled it. The body inside was moving now, and he could only hope and pray it was really Friday. When the sack fell open, a black head popped out breathing in deep, as if the sea air was the sweetest thing ever. It was Friday.

"Crusoe?" Robin could see his friend blink at him a couple of times, as if he didn't believe this to be real. "You are alive." It wasn't a question, but more of a statement.

"Thanks to Judy." He whispered, pulling on the ropes that closed the cage. He should have asked Judy for a knife, but all he had was his bamboo stick. Thank God these were ropes though, and not a chain. Maybe they thought Friday wouldn't be able to free himself from that bound sack? They didn't even place a guard near the cage. "Don't move, I'll have you out of this in a second."

"Judy?" Friday whispered back, "that is one treacherous lady."

"I didn't say I trust her."

"Where is she now?"

"Distracting the men." The rope let loose, and Friday crawled out on his knees, his hands still bound in front of him. "We have a plan."

"What plan?"

"Hey you." A voice shouted and Robin pushed Friday down into the sand. He hoped the man couldn't see from a distance through the darkness that their slave was out of the cage.

"I'll be back. Stay here, right here."

"Crusoe, no!" Friday's whisper was soft but sharp when Robin jumped up and waved at the man coming at them. He wished there was more time to tell Friday about their plan. For now he just had to trust him.

"You want me? Come and get me." Robinson yelled at him, then turned fast and without looking back he darted towards the large rocks further up the beach. Friday would be able to make his way to safety as long as he and Judy distracted the men, and Judy acted according to plan.

Falling down behind a rock, he turned to see the man still following him. A shadow coming his way. Robin had to catch his breath for a second. He grabbed a tight hold of his bamboo stick, held his breath and when the unfortunate man passed the rock, he ducked behind him and hit him on the head. Robin clenched the fist of his other hand when he heard a crack. He hated having to do these things. He was not a killer and never would be. This was all for self preservation. But it was a fine line he walked there.

Everything turned black in front of his eyes for a second. Robin sank to his knees, the pain in his ribs catching up with him once more. He needed to rest, not run around like this. He felt nauseated and without trying to keep it in, he threw up in the sand. It made him feel even more miserable. Leaning his back against a rock behind him, he just hoped that Friday had made a run for it and was safe now. That Judy pulled through, took his place inside the cage, and was on board one of those dinghy's now. She did owe them that much.

Friday had to be safe. Resting his head against the rock, he closed his eyes for a second. Just one second.

* * *

Friday's headache was nothing compared to the relief he felt. Relief to be freed from the cage, but more relieved seeing Crusoe alive. His friend had appeared ill, but ready to jump into action. That was Crusoe. No matter his own health, he would set it aside and do what needed to be done. Which could be a precarious business at times. It wasn't easy to find a remedy for something as easy as a cough on this island, let alone major injuries. Friday always relied on knowledge passed to him by his father. But even his father didn't know everything.

When he turned away from the cage to follow Crusoe from a safe distance, he looked straight into the face of Judy and a long pointy knife. "Hello there, savage," she whispered.

"Betrayal, again?" Friday asked, not even feeling disappointed. This woman changed sides every other minute, as long as there was a profit to be had. For her. Crusoe was far too trusting when it came to people like Judy. But Friday wasn't.

"Shhhh..." Her hand landed on his mouth. "I'm after Tennant, and all he wants right now is to leave as fast as possible with what I just did to some of his men." She grinned widely at him through the semi darkness. "Go run, find Crusoe." She pointed at the cage with the sack still in it. "I will surprise Tennant on the high seas. He betrayed me and will pay."

To proof a point, Tennant yelled from nearby the fire. "You idiots, you stupid dogs, letting a woman get to you. We are leaving right away. Let her rot on this God forsaken island. Get the cage with the slave, hurry up!"

"Quickly, go!" Judy crawled into the cage and pulled the sack over her head. "Go, and tell Crusoe I'll miss him." It sounded muffled, "and close the cage."

"Thank you," was all Friday could say. These men would have a very angry woman with a knife on their ship. They would probably not survive. He admired her bravery, but just for a second before he turned and ran up the beach, finding cover behind the rocks. He let himself fall into the sand, his hands still bound. He should have asked Judy to cut him loose, but there had been no time whatsoever. Not good.

Friday peered over the rocks and saw the dinghy's leave. Like shadows being pushed into the water. It made him realise he'd been holding his breath. He felt a whole lot safer now that the slave traders had left. Maybe there were some left on the island though, as one had been following Crusoe. But a lot of them would be dead, by Judy's hand. That was one dangerous woman.

He felt exhausted, and could sleep right here on the spot. But he knew he had to find Crusoe. Friday had seen the general direction his friend had ran off to when he'd set him free, luring away that man. He should be nearby. It wasn't easy to spot anyone on this dark beach though. He could only hear the sounds of the waves, and see a dark line where the ocean was beginning. Standing up, his legs still wobbly from his time in that sack, he looked around.

"Crusoe?" The dinghy's should be far enough away to risk shouting the name of his friend. "Crusoe, where are you?" The waves were muffling other sounds anyway.

There was no answer, and Friday wondered if his friend might have had to flee into the jungle. Maybe it was a better idea to sit tight until dawn? He hated doing so, but knew there was no choice. Crusoe could be nearby or miles away. He couldn't risk wandering around in the dark, not without a bow or machete. But what if Crusoe was seriously hurt or dying and he was sitting here doing nothing?

This would be a long night...

* * *

The morning came with the sounds of the waves and birds from the jungle. They woke Friday, who blinked a couple of times to get used to the bright rays of sunshine. How long had he been asleep? His headache was almost gone, so that was a relief. His body felt stiff and painful though from sleeping in the sand. He'd slept on the beach before, so he knew a little movement would get rid of it. Friday stood up, stretching. He had a clear view of the beach now, and recognised it as Susannah's bay. Crusoe had wanted to give names to certain places on the island. Map them. It did come in handy at times.

There were traces of where the dinghy's had left, and where the cage had been standing. Nearby the remainders of the men's fire. There were footsteps all over, but he knew where to start searching. Footsteps, leading away from where the cage had been standing, were still clear and deep. Friday was a good tracker. These were from Crusoe and his heavy boots.

After having searched near the giant rocks leading up to the tree line, Friday could feel his heart sink when he found his friend propped up against one, knocked out cold. One of the slave trader men was lying head down in the sand, not far from him. The man looked dead, and Friday didn't feel any regret. Crusoe looked terrible, as pale as a sheet, but Friday could see his fingers move. He was alive, thank the spirits, or maybe he should be grateful towards Crusoe's God?

He placed one hand on his friend's shoulder. "Crusoe?"

Two watery blue eyes opened a tiny slit, gazing up, but they didn't seem to be seeing him. "Susannah?" Crusoe croaked, staring right through him, as if he was a dream. The man's hand reached out for his, but dropped before it could reach its destination, and Crusoe's eyes closed again.

Friday started checking if Crusoe was hurt in a bad way. Next to the bruises on the man's chest - from the beating he'd gotten from Tennant - he couldn't find anything major. He hoped there was nothing else going on. Friday knew he had to stay positive. He thought about carrying his friend back to the tree house, but realised this was a very long walk. Friday didn't feel strong enough for that kind of thing yet. There were two options left. Wait until Crusoe was well enough to walk himself, or make some kind of cot to pull him.

First things first, they needed water. Making sure the slave trader nearby was really dead, he pulled off the man's shirt and put it over Crusoe's head to protect him against the sun. Then he pulled off the man's leather shoe to use as a cup for water. It didn't smell nice, but would do the trick. He took one look at his friend and started to make his way into the jungle to fetch water.

* * *

Robinson was dreaming again, and it involved being on a ship to London. He was standing on deck, his face in the wind, and he could feel the droplets of foam from the sea breeze in his face. It didn't taste salty though, like sea water should be. It was fresh water. Water? With a shock he opened his eyes and looked straight into Friday's worried ones. His friend was holding an old leather shoe in one hand and was supporting Robin's head with the other.

"Friday?" Robin realised after a couple of minutes, that the water from his dream was water in his mouth and on his chin, and everything came back to him. The slave traders, Judy, the dinghy's and his painful ribs, still feeling like someone had been standing on them. The all consuming exhaustion was ebbing away though. How long had he been out of it?

"Crusoe?"

"Did you just give me water from an old shoe?"

"What did it taste like?"

"Like it's from an old shoe." Robin couldn't help but chuckle, which hurt and he coughed. It was good to see Friday, safe and sound. Judy must have gone through with her plan, and that, he had to admit to himself, surprised him. Maybe they hadn't seen the last of her though. He wasn't sure if this was a bad thing. She had saved their lives after all.

Friday had a worried expression on his face, even though Robin's chuckle had made him smile. "Are you all right, my brother?"

"Yes." He managed to get his elbows under his body in the sand to lift himself up a bit. "I am doing fine now that I know you are."

"Judy saved us."

"Yes, she did."

"Women folk can be very brave."

"Yes."

"And foolish."

"That too."

"And I wish we will never see her again," Friday concluded.

"What, really, where's your sense of adventure?" Robin tried not to smile at Friday's indignant look, but it was comical so he couldn't help it. He turned, avoiding the man's eyes.

"Are you strong enough to make your way home?" Friday had seen his grin and had chosen not to react to the bait. "We missed breakfast."

"More than breakfast." Robinson could hear his stomach growl with the mention of food. Yesterday had been a long bad day, and he still felt weak. If they reached the tree house, he would eat and keep his own promise to sleep for a week. Well, maybe two days, or one. "I could eat a horse."

"Or a banana."

"A banana will do."

"Let us go home." Friday pulled him up and smiled.

"Yes, lets." Robin grabbed Friday's arm and squeezed lightly. He'd almost lost a friend yesterday, and didn't want to think about what would have happened if Judy had not come back for him.

On this island he needed food, water, fire and shelter. But Friday was just as important. The man that kept him sane. The man who was his best friend. They would survive all the good and the bad days, until one day a friendly ship arrived to take them home.

The End.

 _Author's Note:_ _Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed this little adventure. This story was written in 2011, but edited in 2017._


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